I am Ra's Al Ghul
by DragoVrede
Summary: "It's only when the monster become someone else – something else – that you're free to be Oliver Queen." I was reading a story involving Oliver remaining as Ra's instead of handing it to Malcolm. Unfortunately, I can't find the story, so, I'll do a story based on what I think would happen after the Fallen, if Oliver had left Felicity behind, instead of taking her to Nanda Parbat.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Arrow or anything else you may recognize. All characters belong to their creators.

 **Alright, well here is another take on Olyssa from me. I know I'm currently working on three stories, which I will update again soon, but, I have writers block at the moment and need to get some ideas out of my head. I was reading a story involving Oliver remaining as Ra's instead of handing it to Malcolm. Unfortunately, I can't find the story and see if it was updated, so, I'll do a story based on what I think would happen after the Fallen.**

-The Fallen-

[Thea's Apartment]

Oliver walks into the apartment looking for his sister, he sees her laying on the ground bleeding and barely alive, "Thea? Thea?! Oh, my God, Thea! Hey!"

She groans and gasps, "I... c- coul- couldn't... stah… stop him."

Oliver goes to the phone that Thea, had tried to reach and dials, "I need an ambulance to 455 Merced, Unit 10. Please hurry." He goes back to Thea and applies pressure to the wound, "All right, you're going to be ok. You're going to be ok. No, Thea, stay awake! Come on! Up!" He carries her bridal style and rushes out of the apartment.

[Hospital]

Thea's is being rushed in Oliver at her side, "Hang on, we're almost there." He tries to remain calm.

"How long was she like this?" The ER doctor asks as they rush her into surgery.

"Uh, 20 minutes, 40, I don't know, I just found her." He says with a panicked voice.

"You need to stay here." She tells him as the nurses and techs rush Thea into the room.

"I'm not going to leave her!" He replies trying to get in, "You need to let us work." She says leaving him on the other side of the doors as she enters and begins ordering the staff.

"Get me a set of vitals. Lift." Thea shows no sign of life, "Charge up to 200 joules."

"Charging. Clear." Oliver watches, his sister's flatline showing no pulse.

"No response. Draw up one milligram EPI, charge to 200."

"Charging. Ready. Clear."

The monitor beeps but flatlines, "Start CPR. Come on. Come on, stay with us." The doctor says as she works on getting a pulse, just then the monitor beeps and shows a pulse. Standing outside Oliver stumbles back onto the wall, he had almost lost his sister.

[Hospital Room]

Oliver is waiting outside of Thea's room when the doctor walks out, "We did the best we could under the circumstances, but her injuries were extensive. Even if she were to regain consciousness, we can prolong her life for as long as you wish. But... it might be best to consider other options." She hands him a file but he doesn't take it, he's calm but his face show how devastating the news is to him, "I am truly sorry, Mr. Queen."

"May I see her?" he asks finally finding his voice and the doctor steps aside and opens the door for him.

Oliver walks in and upon seeing his sister, he breaks down, his face a mixture of rage and sadness. "I'm sorry." He whispers as he looks down at his sister.

"Oliver..." comes the voice of Malcolm who sneaks into the room, his eyes begin to water as he sees Oliver's expression, "Thea." He whispers as he falls to his knees at her side.

[Outside the room]

Oliver sits there broken as Felicity and Diggle come into the hall and rush to him, "Oh, my God. Oliver!"

"Oliver, we came as soon as we could. What happened? Oliver." Diggle tries to get his attention but he just stares off into space, "They just left her there. To die."

"Oliver, is is she?" Felicity tries to ask but Oliver cuts her off, "It's bad."

Oliver looks away from them and sees smoke outside on a neighboring building, "What is it?" Diggle asks as Oliver moves to the window and puts on his jacket.

"Smoke." Is all he says in reply.

"The League? Screw 'em. At least until we get our bearings, Oliver. Come up with a plan." Diggle tries to be his voice of reason but Oliver is blinded, "He's won. There is no plan. Stay here with Thea." He says as he leaves his two partners in the hall.

[Roof]

"Did you do this?" Oliver asks as he rushes Maseo and punches him into the ground blinded by his rage, "Did you do this?!"

"You could still save her, Oliver." He tells him and Oliver looks at his once friend in confusion, "I don't understand."

"Take your rightful place as heir to the Demon... And Ra's al Ghul will bring your sister back."

[Apartment]

Oliver is packing up some of Thea's clothes and getting his things ready when Diggle, Felicity and Malcolm come into the apartment, "Oliver, what's going on?" Felicity asks him concerned.

"Oliver, where are you going?" Diggle asks but Oliver simply closes the bags, "Away."

"You can't just leave like this. You have to tell us what's happening." Felicity tells him.

"There's a way for me to save her."

"Thea? Come on, Oliver, that's not possible." Felicity begins but Malcolm speaks, "Yes, it is. There are waters in Nanda Parbat. They've permitted Ra's to live for over a hundred years. And in rare instances, told in legend, those waters have been used to restore the dead to life." He looks at Oliver, "He offered to use the Lazarus pit on Thea, didn't he?"

"Lazarus, as in from the bible, Lazarus?" Diggle asks him trying to wrap his mind at the possibility of such a thing.

"The pit's real. I've seen it. It can save Thea." Oliver tells him.

"Right. But only if you become the new Ra's." Diggle reminds him and Oliver nods.

"Ok. Well, even if a magic hot tub were not crazy talk, we're not going to let you go and join the League of psychotic murderers, even if it is to save Thea." Felicity tries to reach him.

"Which this wouldn't. The waters change a person. In the soul. Even if they work, the Thea you get back will not be the one you lost." Malcolm tells him but it makes Oliver reply with rage in his voice, "The one we lost because of you!"

"Oliver..." Felicity tries again.

"I'd prefer that we didn't do our usual 'please don't go' dance." Oliver tells her and she looks at him conviction in her eyes, "We're not going to. Because I'm coming with you. Assuming that this works, someone's going to need to bring Thea back home."

"We need a way to get to Nanda Parbat." Oliver sighs.

[Palmer Tech]

"Sorry to interrupt." Felicity says as she enters Ray's office.

"Everything all, right? Cause you got that crease between your eyebrows that tells me things most definitely are not."

"Something awful has happened. And I I need a favor. A really big favor."

"Last time you asked me for a big favor, I had to loan you my helicopter." Ray reminds her.

"Don't need your helicopter. I need your jet. Well, Oliver does, but both of us. It's not what you think." She rambles.

"Well, if you're going to fly away with him, then... it's exactly what I think." Ray responds sadness evident in his voice.

"Ray..."

"Last night was a bit of an eye opener. Insofar as realizing something I should have realized a long time ago... Can be considered eye-opening. Last night, when you were saying good bye to Roy, you and Oliver..." Both sigh, "You still have feelings for him. When I... told you that I loved you at the hospital, you responded with Jell-O and seeing you two together last night, I realized... You don't love me because you're in love with him."

"I'm sorry." She begins to shed tears, "You're the last person I ever meant to hurt."

"Take the jet. I hope the something awful stops being awful." He says and Felicity walks away from the office.

[Hanger]

"What did Felicity say to Dr. Vaca?" Malcolm asks Oliver as Thea is being moved by EMT's and Diggle next to her followed by Felicity.

"She thinks Thea's being moved to Central City." Oliver replies.

"You know, they do amazing things at S.T.A.R. Labs. We might think about paying them a visit before putting Thea on a long flight to Nanda Parbat." Malcolm responds.

"S.T.A.R. Labs can't save her. Only the Lazarus pit can."

"Oliver! Look, I know what I have done doesn't seem like the actions of a loving father, but I do love her. She's the only child I have left. Having said that, I would rather lose her forever than than subject her to the pit."

"Get on the plane, Malcolm." Oliver orders and Malcom does so leaving Oliver alone with Felicity, he looks at her, smiles gently, "I'm sorry." Felicity feels a dart hit her in the neck, realizing what was happening she tried to speak but fell into his arms. He carries her to a car and puts her inside, Ray opens the driver door and looks at him, "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm no longer fighting to be someone I can never become. She deserves a better life; one I could never provide and can never have. Take her to her place. Tell her I'm sorry when she wakes up but I need to do this."

Ray looks at him but nods. He watches the plane take off and then gets in the car and drives away.

[On the Jet]

"You look chilly. Man" Diggle says sitting in front of Oliver who had been looking out the window.

"Yeah." Is all he says just staring out the window, he sighs, "I know that I've only told you a little about the five years that I was away."

"Well, if by 'little,' you mean hardly anything." Diggle replies.

"I came back to Starling City before they found me on the island."

"When you found the message from your father?"

"It was complicated, but yeah. I saw Thea. She didn't see me. She had a drug problem. So, I... confronted her dealer. And I broke his neck. And I did it because I was angry, sure. But I also did it because I felt like I was protecting her. All I've ever wanted to do was protect her."

He sighed before continuing, "Malcolm told me. He warned me what Ra's might do. But I never thought... I failed." He told his friend and they just sat in silence the rest of the way.

[Nanda Parbat]

The group, led by Oliver with Thea in his arms, makes its way to Nanda Parbat, there standing at full force is Ra's and his followers, "What is that?" Diggle asks looking at the scene in front of him.

Oliver sighs, "It's the League."

"Welcome home, Al Sah-him." Ra's says as the league members all stood to the side to create a walkway, kneeling as Al Sah-him approached.

Inside the room with the Lazarus pit, two league members walk up to Oliver to take Thea, he hesitates and its then that Sarab walks up to him, "I must prepare for the ritual. I will treat her as my own family." Oliver looks at him and hands Thea over to him. He watches him leave with his sister.

[Diggle's Chamber]

"I hope you find the accommodations acceptable. Such luxury is a small glimpse of the life that awaits Oliver." Sarab tells Diggle showing him his room.

"You trying to reassure me or yourself?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"You're Oliver's friend. Maseo, right?"

"I am Sarab."

"Call yourself whatever you want. If you gave a damn about Oliver, you wouldn't be working for the man who practically killed his sister."

"Oliver will be spared grief in a manner that was denied to me, and he'll receive an honor greater than you can imagine."

Diggle scoffs, "League of Assassins. You're feared for your bravery and power. Well, all I see are a bunch of weak men running from their lives, trying to escape. That's not power, Maseo. Or brave. That's cowardly."

"Do not presume to know me until you've held your dying child in your arms. Until you've told him everything would be ok so that the last words he ever hears are a lie. You know nothing."

"I'm sorry. What was your child's name?"

"Akio."

"You think Akio would be proud of his father right now?"

[Ritual]

The priestess is chanting followed by the members present, Thea is on a makeshift stretcher, being lowered into the pit by Diggle, Oliver, Malcolm and Sarab. The chanting continues until Thea is submerged in the pit, everything went quiet and then suddenly the ropes went into the pit, seconds pass and Thea comes out like a raging beast.

Oliver tries to reach her, "Thea! Thea!" but she is fighting against them until two members hold her and the priestess sedates her.

"I've fulfilled my end of our arrangement. I suggest you begin to make peace with yours." Ra's says and walks off.

[Thea's Room]

She wakes up gasping for air, "Hey. Hey. It's ok. You're ok." Oliver tries to calm her.

"I don't know you." Thea replies.

"Thea, it's it's me. It's Ollie."

"Ollie's dead." Oliver steps back as Malcolm kneels next to her, "Dad?"

"I'm here, Thea. It it's me."

"What's going on? Where am I?"

"Some place safe. You are safe."

"Where's mom?"

"Your mother's not here. Look just lie back, close your eyes and get some rest, ok?"

Thea listens and lies back down, "I love you, Dad."

Malcolm walks over to Oliver, "Ra's told me that the confusion would pass." He tells Malcolm.

"You have no idea what you've done."

"What I've done? She's alive, Malcolm. What I did saved her life."

"She thinks Moira's still alive."

"She'll be fine."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. Because you, and Diggle are going to take her home and she will recover."

[Outside Nanda Parbat]

Oliver is saying his goodbyes, "Malcolm is going to take you home."

"I don't understand, aren't you coming with?" Thea says still dazed and confused.

"Not now. You go on, I'll catch up." He hugs her tightly, "I love you, Thea. Don't ever forget that, ok?" Malcolm takes her away.

Diggle looks at his friend, "Oliver... Oliver, I don't know what to say."

"I do. John, you're the best man I've ever known. And whatever happens, you're my brother." The two men hug briefly before Diggle moves off after Malcolm and Thea.

Oliver looks at them leave before turning around and walking back inside, in his mind he is coming to terms with his new mask, 'I am Al Sah-him. Wareeth Al Ghul. Heir to the Demon.'

[Thea's Apartment]

Thea wakes up startled, and on her couch, "What's what's going on?"

"Everything's fine, Thea, you're you're ok." Malcolm reassures her.

"If you're here, then I'm not." She shot back at him; her confusion seems to have gone.

"At least you're feeling a little more like yourself again." Malcolm says a bit relieved.

Thea groans and notices that Oliver isn't there, "What do you want? Where's Ollie?"

"Thea, do you remember anything about the past few days?"

"I... I was here. And and Ra's, he he attacked me." She says remembering flashes of that night but not everything.

"No, Thea. He nearly killed you." Malcolm corrects her.

Thea begins to worry, "Where is my brother?"

"That is that is what I'm trying to explain. To save you, Oliver had to join the League. He he traded his life for yours."

"No. No." She puts her head in her hands as tears fall from her eyes.

Malcom sighs, "I am sorry. I know you hate me, and you have every right, but I am going to make up for that, for everything."

"That is not possible!"

"Yes, it is! The League isn't after us anymore; I am free! I could go anywhere in the world, but... this is where I want to be. Here. With my daughter. You took care of me when I was injured. Now, please, Thea, please. Let me take care of you."

[Laurel's Office]

Felicity knocks on her door, "Sorry to interrupt."

"Is everything all, right?" Laurel asks her as she turns around to face her.

"No. It's not." Felicity replies, and at seeing her expression Laurel gets up and walks towards her, "Felicity..."

Felicity let's tears fall from her eyes, "Oliver's... He's gone."

Laurel looks at her worried herself that something happened to Oliver, "What are you talking about?"

"He joined the League. He's not coming back." She tells her finally breaking down, he had made the choice to leave her behind, and she had been angry with him, with ray but now that Diggle, Malcom and Thea returned without him, she was torn.

"Shh." Laurel tries to console her, as Felicity lets it all out.

[Nanda Parbat]

Oliver and Sarab stand in front of Ra's, "Your service will be vital in the coming weeks. Oliver will need you for his transformation." Ra's informs Sarab who nods in understanding.

In the room where Malcolm was being tortured weeks ago, Oliver takes hold of two ropes and twists them around his hands before gripping them tightly, Ra's walks up to him, "And like Sarab... vestiges of your old identity still remain. Oliver Queen must be extinguished from memory. The word "assassin" has fallen victim to many abuses of language. Its real meaning hidden beneath the sediment of lies and falsehoods."

Ra's walks around Oliver until he stands behind Oliver, "In truth, "assassin" comes from hashishiyya, which means, 'those who stand apart from society.' Now, every man and woman in here have renounced their past life and forfeited their identity in the name of something new. And it is a cleansing only achieved by fire."

The priestess hands Ra's a branding iron with the Leagues symbol on burning hot red, "Embrace the pain, for it is your soul finally being unburdened." Ra's says as he put the iron on Oliver's upper right shoulder.

League members hand Oliver his new outfit and he puts them on followed by his new gear, he stands in front of Ra's head bowed, "Oliver Queen is dead. Eventually to be reborn as Ra's al Ghul. But for now, only the Arrow, Al Sah-him, shall remain. Al Sah-him. Heir to the Demon." Al Sah-him raises his head, his eyes no longer showing the Oliver he had become with Diggle and Felicity but the Oliver the island made and forged.

-Al Sah-Him-

 **My name was Oliver Queen. For three years, I worked to save my city. But to save my sister, I had to become someone else. I had to become something else.**

" _Oliver Queen is dead, and for now, only the Arrow, Al Sah-him, shall remain. Heir to the Demon."_

Ra's and Al Sah-him are sparring at night in an open area, their blades sparking every time they hit. ' _Oliver Queen is alive only in the past. He is forgotten'._ Al Sah-him continues to spar as he remembers his transformation and the words spoken by Ra's. ' _Oliver Queen is alive only in the past. He is forgotten'_. The sparring continues with Al Sah-him on the defensive for a while, ' _You are Al Sah-him'_. Finally, Ra's takes him down, he helps him up and Al Sah-him takes off his hood and mask.

"You have made great progress in three weeks. Al Sah-him. You no longer flinch upon hearing your new name."

"Oliver Queen is alive only in the past. He's forgotten." Al Sah-him replies.

"Indeed. You are Al Sah-him. You are Wareeth al Ghul. Heir to the demon." Ra's replies.

"My lord. I apologize for this interruption. We captured this intruder." Sarab speaks as he and two other league members push a prisoner onto his knees.

"Why, then, is he still yet alive?" Ra's asks Sarab.

"He is known to Al Sah-him." Sarab replies as he removes the bag covering the prisoners head.

"Oliver, what is going on?" Diggle asks confused.

"Clearly he made another attempt to free Al Sah-him." Sarab says as Al Sah-him looks at the man in front of him.

"Well, then it falls on Al Sah-him to deal with him." Ra's says.

"Oliver, they're lying to you. I never made it home. They've had me here prisoner for weeks." Diggle tries to tell him.

"My oath of mercy on your friends was premised by your fealty. Prove it." Ra's says handing Al Sah-him his blade.

"No, Oliver. Listen to me they're lying to you. We could still get out of here; you and me working together. There's still a chance." Diggle pleads with him.

"Remove his chains. Give him your sword, Sarab. I will not kill an unarmed man." Al Sah-him replies.

"That's the way this is? You've been here for a few weeks and you forget who you are. Do you remember when you brought me into your crusade, I told you that I would be here to help remind you who Oliver was, if you ever became something else. I haven't given up on that promise." Diggle reminds him but Al Sah-him just looks at him.

"Fight." He says as he begins to strike, Diggle is able to fend him for three strikes before Al Sah-him puts him on the ground disarmed. Diggle looks at him from the floor his eyes pleading with him but Al Sah-him doesn't flinch as he puts the sword through his heart.

"The past three weeks, you've been exposed to a rare herb centuries old. It causes one's conscience to come to the forefront of their mind so it is the only thing that they see. The herb's effect is different for everyone. Some people see family and loved ones. Others encounter trusted friends or teachers. Who did you see?" Ra's asks him as Diggle's face changes into a stranger.

"Someone from my past, my conscious." Al Sah-him admits.

"Very well." Ra's nods as he turns, "There is something else I wish you to see. Come."

"Where?" Al Sah-him asks as he follows.

"The past. A place now home only for the dead."

[Ruins]

"I have not been back to this place since I pledged myself to the League." Ra's tells him.

"What happened here?"

"When I joined the League, I was conscripted with another man. Damien Darhk. We would become the prized agents of Ra's al Ghul. We were his horsemen. And he molded us into warriors the likes the world had never seen. We were as brothers."

"What happened to him?"

"He believed himself worthy of becoming heir to the Demon, but I was the one chosen."

"So, you had to kill him."

"Yes. But you see, I hesitated. And with that hesitation, he found an opportunity to escape, taking with him his loyalists and water from the Lazarus pit. And he has vexed me ever since. And you."

"I don't follow." Al Sah-him looks at him.

"Damien continues the League's ways, but through his own organization filled with a hive of agents devoted to his own agenda. Last year, he tried to purchase Malcolm Merlyn's earthquake generator. He gave Gholem Qadir safe haven to Markovia. And he hired Mark Shaw to steal a secret file from A.R.G.U.S."

"This was all the work of one man?"

"The list goes on. Many lives have been lost, others endangered. And all because I was slow to swing a vengeful sword. And I will not have my heir haunted by the same mistake."

"What is it you wish me to do?"

"There is a rival who claims to be heir to the Demon. And you must eliminate this threat from your reign. And you must do so without mercy." Ra's instructs him and Al Sah-him nods his head in understanding.

[Diner in Starling]

"I never understood your country's need to fry everything." Nyssa tells Laurel as they sit down.

"That's because everything tastes better that way." Laurel smiles at her.

"This is more oil than potato."

"Dip it in your milkshake."

"I sense you're mocking me. I'm serious. Here. Dip it in your milkshake." Laurel shows her and Nyssa follows eating it.

"I have to admit... It's fun seeing you like this." Laurel says seeing Nyssa's eyes filled with wonder.

"Like what?"

"Like a normal person."

"I am a normal person." They laugh.

"I can't believe you just said that."

"You have a point. For me, normal is a world where only the strong survive. One without simple pleasures. Thank you, Laurel. I was alone and adrift, and you have shown me kindness."

"I'm only returning the favor. Isn't that what you did for Sara?"

"There's little comparison between my current situation and Sara's after her time with Oliver on Lian Yu." Nyssa says but she notices something is bothering Laurel, "What's wrong?"

"It's about Oliver. There's something that I haven't told you. He's in Nanda Parbat."

"I don't understand." Nyssa looks at her.

"He's accepted your father's offer to become the next Ra's."

"You should have not kept that from me." Nyssa replies fear evident in her voice.

"I'm sorry, it's just it's just that you seemed so happy, and after what happened with your father, I..." Nyssa walks away in a hurry.

[Nyssa's Safe House]

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Oliver earlier. That was your right to know. I just things were going so well for you. You seemed happy, and I didn't want to upset you, but I still shouldn't have kept it from you." Laurels says as Nyssa is sharpening her sword.

"Were, I so inclined, I'd question why your first instinct is to always keep matters secret. Even after doing so cost you a relationship with your father. But I have much greater concerns." Nyssa says again fear in her voice.

"What's going on?"

"You should go." Nyssa says giving her a small smile.

"No. I'm not leaving. Friends don't do that to one another."

"Now that Oliver has ascended to his position as heir to the Demon, he will come for me, with as many men as it takes to see me dead." Nyssa explains to Laurel.

[Rooftop]

Two zip lines are shot out and League members begin to descend, "Tonight, Nyssa al Ghul faces justice for her betrayal." Al Sah-him says as Sarab moves up next to him.

[Palmer Tech]

Nyssa and Laurel have explained the circumstances to Diggle and Felicity. "Wait a second! Oliver wouldn't. I don't see how."

"I think what she's trying to say is that Oliver would never do anything to hurt you, Felicity. And the only reason why he joined the League is to protect the people he loves." Diggle says.

"Now what you need to understand is that Oliver Queen is dead. He's a memory." Nyssa tells them.

"Apparently, the League has some of their recruits undergo a process of reprogramming." Laurel says.

"Like brainwashing? Oliver never said that he was signing on for brainwashing." Felicity asks concerned that the man she still loved might actually be gone.

"The League's ways are shrouded in ritual and ceremony. Oliver would not even know what's happening to him." Nyssa explains but Felicity won't accept it.

"I don't care! Oliver, he is stronger than that!"

"I did not come here to debate. Laurel insisted that I bring this news to you myself, but I can see all I'm doing is damaging your memory of him. Perhaps it is better for you to not think of what Oliver has become. You can have that luxury." Nyssa says as she makes to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?" Laurel asks her.

"To face him, and if necessary, my destiny. I will not cower in the shadows waiting for death." Nyssa says determined but frightened all the same.

[Van]

"Anything?" Diggle asks.

"Nyssa hasn't stopped moving. But I'm still getting a strong signal off the tracker." Felicity replies.

"Copy that. Radio check every five minutes." He says before looking up and seeing the look on Laurel, "What?"

"If anything happens with Nyssa, let me handle it on my own."

"Laurel, we're talking about the League of Assassins!"

"I know that, I just Oliver. You were closer to him than any two people I've ever known. You should not have to "

"What, fight him? Kill him? Laurel, it's not going to come to that. Look, I'm with Felicity. There's nothing that Ra's al Ghul can do that can turn Oliver against the people he loves."

[Palmer Tech]

"Nice secret headquarter upgrade. Does Mr. Palmer know you guys are in here?" Thea asks walking in on Felicity.

"Yes. He's out of town. And how did you get in here?"

"My dad's a super villain and you left your doors unlocked."

"Right. I have been distracted."

"Because you and Mr. Diggle are trying to save the city by yourselves? Look, I've been thinking. Um, maybe, rather than me sitting at home, alone, miserable, maybe I could... be out there helping you guys. You seem like you're shorthanded one, and vigilante skills run in my blood."

"Thea, this might actually be the worst week ever for this conversation."

"What's going on?"

"I I can't."

"Felicity, I cannot be handled right now." Thea asks trying to get answers.

"It's possible and I stress possible that Oliver is back in town with the League."

"I don't understand. Why would Ollie come back here?"

"They're after Nyssa."

"Ollie would never "

"Nyssa thinks he's under some sort of League mind voodoo. But it's going to be fine. We're handling it."

"You are a terrible liar."

"That is true."

"Do you know where he is? I mean, maybe I could just talk to him."

"Thea, I don't know what doctor's orders are for when someone gets brought back from the dead, but I am pretty sure getting into a fight with the League of Assassins goes against them."

"I can get through to him."

"Please, Thea. Oliver wouldn't want you involved. He did what he did so that you would stay out of harm's way."

"Yeah, well. It sounds like Ollie's not here anymore."

[Rooftop]

Nyssa is standing looking out at the city, "This is where my beloved spirit departed this world. Do you even remember Sara? Or has my father already obliterated her from your memory?"

Al Sah-him stands there hood up but no mask, "I'm here to bring you back to Nanda Parbat."

"To face justice? If so, for what crime? To face vengeance? If so, for what offense?" She asks him turning around.

"You told me... Vengeance is justice."

"And you bested me in battle. That won't happen again." She nocks and fires her bow in rapid succession but Al Sah-him is faster than her aim, they arrive at a clearing and he is the one to nock next and fire Nyssa is able to block two arrows easily but the third one almost hit her heart.

Al Sah-him runs at her and they begin exchanging blows, Al Sah-him throws a smoke bomb down and blinds her, using the time to attack with such force that she is knocked backwards. He follows her down his sword at her throat.

"Do it! If I would die, I would have it on the same ground as Sara." She looks at him defiantly but he remains calm. Just then the canary cry makes him cover his ears, once it's gone he whispers something so that only Nyssa hears, stunning her.

"Oh, my God." Felicity says as she watches Oliver stand up to face the new threat, he simply looks at them with no change in emotion.

"We can't let you hurt her, man." Diggle says pointing his gun at his brother. He just looks at them and after a few seconds he turns around walks to the ledge, giving Nyssa a final glance, before stepping off.

[Nyssa's Safe House]

"You should not have interfered."

"Look, I am sorry, but I have lost a sister, a father, Oliver there is no way that I was about to lose you, too."

"You don't understand. You already have. I was marked for death the moment Oliver accepted my father's offer." She says, but his words still roam in her mind. He wasn't serious, was he? It was a suicidal task. She sighs, "Laurel, these past few weeks, they've enlightened me. To live a life outside of my father's rule; to be someone else, even for just a little while, well, brought me great happiness. But I am daughter of the Demon. Happiness is not something that was ever meant for me."

"I've known Oliver my entire life. We've been friends since childhood. But tonight, I did not recognize him." Laurel tells Nyssa, fear in her voice as well.

"I told you... He has been changed." If he was serious, there was no one that truly knew him at all.

"Well, if he can change, then, why can't you?" Laurel asks her.

[League Safe House]

"There was doubt you would return. But not from me. What happened?" Sarab asks as he turns away from the rest of the members.

"Nyssa had friends."

"I warned you not to face her alone. These friends of Nyssa's were they friends of yours?"

"They'll be protecting her now. We need to draw her out." He tells him and Sarab nods.

[Nyssa's Safe House]

"Laurel!" Diggle screams as he and Felicity walk in.

"What happened?" Laurel asks.

"Oliver and his new friends took Lyla." Felicity says out loud.

"What?! Where's Sara, is she ok?" Laurel asks as Diggle makes his way to Nyssa.

"Yeah, she's with John's neighbor." Felicity answers her.

"What's wrong with you?!" Diggle screams as he corners Nyssa onto a wall.

"Hey, it is not Nyssa's fault!"

"No, just her people. You call yourself warriors. You claim to have honor. Well, if you knew the meaning of the word, you would know there are some lines you do not cross!"

"Ok, John, back off."

"You back off!"

"I am truly sorry. I never meant for any harm to come to you or your family." Nyssa tells him.

"Yeah, Nyssa? Then prove it. Hand yourself over to the League."

"What?! We're just going to negotiate with him now? Are we just going to give in? Turn over an innocent person?"

"She's not innocent! She's the daughter of the Demon. She's killed hundreds of people."

"Enough! The only thing that matters is getting Lyla back." Felicity jumps in between Diggle and Laurel.

"I don't care how we do it." Diggle says.

"Yes, you do. Trading one person's life for another we're supposed to be better than that." Laurel reminds him as Diggle starts to calm down.

"It's all right. Of course, you should exchange me for your beloved. I won't see an innocent life taken for mine." Nyssa tells them.

"What? No. I'm not going to let you commit suicide. Don't you remember what you said? These past few weeks have been some of the best of your life."

"I remember. And I remember telling you that happiness is something denied to me. Where's the exchange take place?"

"No. There has to be another way. Another way to save Lyla without turning Nyssa over to the League. And if there isn't, even if you get Lyla back safe and sound, Oliver won't be the only one who lost his soul."

[Exchange]

"They're here." Sarab informs him and Al Sah-him turns around, "Search them."

"Where's my wife? Where's my wife?!" Al Sah-him motions for the members who bring her out, "You son of a bitch. Whatever Ra's did to you..."

"Don't you dare touch me." Felicity says as Sarab moved to search her, he looks over to Al Sah-him who nods, "Oliver, this isn't you. Look at me. I know you're still in there somewhere." He looks at her but his expression doesn't change.

"Bind her." He tells two of the members who move to Nyssa, she's bound and brought forth to him.

He looks at Lyla, "You're free to go."

"Johnny!"

"It's ok, I'm here."

"I thought they were going for Sara."

"Everything's fine, Sara's fine. I told Felicity this is just like Jakarta." Lyla understands and moves over to hug Felicity.

"Kneel before the true heir to the Demon." Sarab tells Nyssa but she stands defiantly, "I kneel before no one." At that moment, Lyla turns around and fires at the League, a brawl between the league and them breaks out until the Al Sah-him, Sarab and two other members gain the upper hand, they take Nyssa prisoner as Al Sah-him moves to strike Diggle down.

An arrow flies by and penetrates his forearm, he looks at it and turns around to face the archer, "Get away from him. Get away from him, or the next one goes in your eye." He looks at Thea no sign of emotion, he simply breaks the arrow off one end and pulls it through and calmly walks away.

[Nanda Parbat]

"There are no more threats to my reign." Al Sah-him announces as he walks in with Nyssa, Sarab and two other members.

"Your fealty continues to impress me, Al Sah-him. You truly are Wareeth al Ghul. And yet my daughter still does not approve of my choice. Fortunately, what I require from you is not your approval. Did you search her?"

"Does not appear to be on her person." Sarab replies.

"Bring me her weapons." One of the members hands them over, "You know, as a young child, Nyssa displayed the panache of a thief. Always stealing extra atayef at her meals and then stowing them away in her quarters. She would grow to learn that there is nothing she can hide from me. Her exploits of late..." He opens the secret compartment on the hilt of her sword, "seem to have clouded that memory. I will remember you as the warrior you once were and not as this shell that stands before me."

"All my life, I've lived in fear of you. But now, as I stand before you ready to leave this earth, I want you to know I am not afraid." She says, for the first time not fearing him.

"Do what needs to be done, my heir. And take with it the satisfaction that your reign will be unchallenged." Ra's commands.

Al Sah-him moves to confront her as she is brought to her knees by Sarab. She looks at him, unable to tell what he is thinking, but their eyes meet and she trembles at his gaze. He takes his sword out and he brings it up ready to strike, fear fills her eyes, he brings the sword down but Ra's stops his hand inches from her heart.

"I can see now, you do not require a culling to solidify your reign. You have broken your rival, Al Sah-him." Ra's looks at Nyssa, she had been defiant to him but when Al Sah-him stood in front of her, he noticed the fear in her eyes, "Something I was unable to do as an heir. Spilling her blood now would only serve as gluttony. Now, perhaps... her blood could be of another purpose." He continues as Nyssa raises, "As a means to unite our families."

Al Sah-him looks at him, "You as husband..." for the first time since he's become the heir his face shows emotion, shock and disbelief, "and you as wife." Nyssa's eyes widen in shock and rage, "I would rather die than become his betrothed."

"Well, your wishes were no longer my concern from the moment you betrayed me. So, you will marry Al Sah-him. And you will become bride of the Demon." Ra's commands and leaves them both to absorb the news.

[Lazarus Pit Room]

"When my daughter left Nanda Parbat, she absconded something critical to both our futures. Do you recall the village I showed you? The one where only the dead remain?"

"It was your home." Al Sah-him responds.

"Was. And I was obligated to unleash death upon it. It has been this way ever since there has been a Ra's. You see, it is the final act of ascension, the transformation to Demon's Head. The erasure of one's former life, former home. Now, my predecessor, he wiped away Alexandria, Egypt, with cholera in 1609. Today you will do the same. Do you recognize this?"

"The Alpha and Omega bioweapon." Al Sah-him answers remembering the events that caused Sarab to join the league and him to disappear once again.

"Beginning and the end. Nyssa stole this to prevent my heir from doing that which you will do today. You will unleash this on Starling City." Ra's tells him and without any sign of emotions Al Sah-him nods.

[Nyssa's Quarters]

She paces the room not believing her current circumstances or the man that wear's Oliver's face. The darkness she saw in him at that moment made her fear him. Unlike the other members or her father, the man she saw, had no sign of his past life, as if it had never existed.

What she saw in his eyes was a monster, no remorse, no guilt, no emotion whatsoever. His words to her were still playing in her mind, ' _It's only when the monster becomes someone else — something else — that you're free to be yourself._ '

She had only heard those words from one person, and it was those words that frightened her the most. If her suspicions were true, then no one not even those closest to him knew who he really was, not even her father. It's the reason she saw no sign of his past life as if it had never existed.

"She spoke fondly of you. I never put it together until I saw the Lazarus pit. Will you trust me or will you tell your father?"

She spun around to find him sitting on her window, one leg out into the abyss and the other in her room. "She betrayed my father."

"No, she wanted her freedom from his terror, from his bloodline. She was sorry to leave you behind but your love for your father was greater and so she left you alone." He looked at her, his face showing emotion once more, his eyes telling her that he spoke the truth.

She looked at him, she wanted to believe, she wanted to know more, "For now." She said finally answering his question, he nodded and climbed out of the window.

 **Authors note:**

 **So, what do you guys think? Should I continue on after the next chapter?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Arrow or anything else you may recognize. All characters belong to their creators.

 **Alright, well here is my take on how it should have been. This is the second chapter. I'm still unsure if I will follow the show if I continue. I appreciate any reviews I have read all of them. Quick notice, Dusan and Talia play a role here. They depart shortly after but will be back in the midst if I continue on. Oliver will NOT be the green arrow if I continue, he will remain as Ra's but will introduce the New Green Arrow.**

-This is Your Sword-

[Nanda Parbat]

"The Romans call it 'vastatio.' The systemic destruction of a land to ensure its subjugation. And what they found was that immolation left a blank slate to build anew. Until you have destroyed your home and severed all ties from your old life, can you begin anew." Ra's told Al Sah-him as he walked towards Sarab who was standing behind the two.

"I did not foresee the day that Maseo Yamashiro appeared at my door. You had the courage to demand an audience of me. And those who do usually offer money and treasure in exchange for my favor. But you gave me the Alpha and Omega." Ra's revealed as Al Sah-him simply turned around, his expression was unreadable.

"The plane is en route. It will be ready tomorrow, as you've commanded." Sarab informed Ra's, who simply nodded and turned to Al Sah-him.

"You will marry my daughter, and you will ascend to Ra's al Ghul, and then you will fly to Starling City carrying death itself." Al Sah-him merely bowed his head.

[Nyssa's Quarters]

She sits there wondering exactly how he knew about his sister. Did he know about her brother as well or were the rumors true? Was he truly dead? Everything she knew about her half-siblings was what her father told her. As if he had heard her questions, once again, in the window sat Al Sah-him, "You wonder about them?"

She looked at him, "Do you know anything about him?"

Al Sah-him looked at her, his face showing no emotion, "Yes." Was all he said giving her no more information which in turn made her furious with him for keeping the information from her. She had enough she wanted answers, but before she could grab her dagger he tossed an envelope at her.

She grabbed it midair and looked at him, Al Sah-him was gone in his stead was Oliver Queen, "I don't know what's inside, she asked me to deliver it to you if ever we should meet. I never believed I'd find you, she kept her past a secret, I had no information on you." She looked at him his eyes sincere, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"What was she to you?" Nyssa found herself asking before she realized she had asked not so much as to know about her but, him.

"She was family. She handed me my bow, my hood, and made sure I was ready for my father's mission. She treated me like a son, a brother, a friend," He had turned around as he remembered his mentor and friend, not noticing the sigh of relief coming from Nyssa nor her light fluster as she shook her head and turned away, "corrected me when I made a mistake, offered me guidance making sure I was prepared, and when I became lost in the monster she reminded me of Oliver."

Nyssa still not looking at him smiled slightly, she remembered the way her sister had taken care of her, and guided her in the league ways always offering advice and comfort until her departure. When she turned around he was gone, leaving her alone with the envelope and her thoughts.

She opened the envelope and inside found a letter and a small picture, it was Talia, Dusan, and Oliver, he looked younger and had long hair that covered his eyes, she couldn't help but smile at the difference between him there and the Oliver she knew. She stared at the picture taking in her siblings noting that they looked happy, like she had been when she was out in the world with Laurel.

She placed the picture in her pocket before unfolding the letter and reading:

'If you're reading this then Ollie has caught father's eye. We only have one thing to say, trust him. I know you probably hate me for leaving after he 'died'. But I had too given, that I faked his death to get him away, and I left to raise him, away from our father. In our travels one of my students went missing and we looked for him, in doing so, we found Oliver. I realized he was fighting to be whole, one part Oliver Queen trying to be the man his father saw, the other part the monster that the island revealed was within him. Our brother encouraged me to train him and I did. I went from having one brother to having two, although at times it felt more like I was their mother. But throughout all of it I realized that he was more adept with masks then I was. If he has found you and delivered this note, then Father has set eyes on him as heir. If he is there, trust him, I know you love father but in order to be free you need to trust Ollie, don't get fooled by his dark mask. Ollie, is a great man and even though marrying him might not be what you want, I knew that if father had him in the league it would be as heir, leaving only one option for you, becoming his bride. I'm sorry but please, Nyssa, if you wish to be free from father's shackles trust this man, he's unlike any one we've met so far. He's someone we trust with our lives.'

We love you, and miss you dearly. T&D

Nyssa read and reread the letter over and over, her brother, was alive, at least at the time the letter was written. Not only was he alive but both his siblings had mentored Oliver, they had seen him as family. Talia always knew what her father was planning, she should have known as well, her father believed men superior to women, he had wanted to make Dusan heir but he was born albino to his disappointment and had treated him as inferior.

She was glad he had not died and instead lived life free from their father. She would trust Oliver if her sister and brother trusted him, _she would marry him_ , this last thought surprised her, was she looking forward to it? Or was she just coming to terms with her fate? She didn't know and it was infuriating, why was she feeling such things for a man?

[Dinner]

Nyssa walks in her thoughts still all over the place from reading the letter, and finding that she was unsure about what was happening, "My daughter." Ra's says as she sits down in front of Al Sah-him.

"I am not hungry." She said not looking at either of them.

"Ah, yes. Many a bride has skipped a meal or two before their wedding day." Ra's says as Al Sah-him looks at her, concerned.

"I would rather die than wed this forgery." She looked at Al Sah-him a silent conversation had in mere seconds, she grinned, in a way her father didn't catch but she knew Al Sah-him had understood.

"Well, you speak as though they are the only two options before you, my daughter." Ra's replied coolly.

"Daughter. And to think, I once wore that title with pride." Nyssa looked at him loath in her eyes, he was the reason his siblings had left, and it took her until Sara's death to understand why Talia had left, if only she had done the same.

"Perhaps 'mother' will suit you better." Both Nyssa and Al Sah-him looked taken aback by this, their composure crumbling for two very different reasons. For one Al Sah-him never saw himself as worthy of having a child. Nyssa on the other hand was taken aback because the idea didn't frighten her as much as she thought it should, not since reading the letter and seeing him outside of the masks he wore when he spoke of her sister.

"After your betrothal to Al Sah-him, you will extend my lineage by having a child of your own." Ra's continued not having noticed or caring about their reactions.

"If you think I will bear his child " She finally managed to say, more for show then actually meaning it, but before she could continue her father cut her off, "Yes! I do. And you will have no more say in it than your mother was given."

He turned to Al Sah-him who was still lost in thought, a cannot bring a child into this world, this darkness, the hatred, the evil. "You're quiet." He heard Ra's say and he looked over at him.

"I'm prepared for my ascension to Ra's. But I'm still... coming to grips with marriage. Perhaps a walk to clear my head." He said as he got up, "I will send a guard to accompany you." Ra's told him but Al Sah-him shook his head, "If I can't protect myself, I don't deserve to inherit your mantle."

[On the outskirts of Nanda Parbat]

Al Sah-him is making his way down a path, a fallen wall hides an intruder dressed the same way as the hood, but in black. As Al Sah-him makes his way past the figure jumps out at him and attacks, in one swift movement the intruder is on the floor with Al Sah-him having one hand on the figures throat.

"You're late." Is all Al Sah-him says as he helps the man up, who in turn takes his hood down and mask off, "Sorry. Nanda Parbat's not exactly the easiest place to infiltrate." Both men grin but are cut short when a third figure appears from the shadows, "Don't joke."

They both look like children being scolded, "Yes, mom!" they reply and grin again as the figure slaps them both behind the head, "Ow!" Oliver rubs the back of his head as he looks at her, "Things are worse than we thought. And I also gave her the envelope. Although you could have told me where to find her before I went back to the island."

This time the siblings laughed, "Sorry we were hoping you'd never be dragged into this. Sorry about Thea. We should have known he would do something like that."

Oliver sighed, "Thanks, I'm glad you got in touch because my last resort was Malcolm and I'm certain he is just as bad as Ra's." They both nodded and turned back to the matters at hand.

"So, what does he plan for tomorrow?" Talia asked him as she removed her own hood and vail.

"Ra's plans to transport the virus to Starling on a plane." Oliver tell them, Talia looks at him, "That is oddly modern for the League. Do you think father suspects you?"

"He has no reason to."

"I warned you it would be difficult." Dusan tells him, and Oliver sighs, "I just thought that we'd have more time, when you explained to me that my ascension to Ra's would include the destruction of Starling."

"We anticipated you wouldn't be Ra's for months." Talia told him surprised by how fast it was all proceeding, unless her father had something else in mind.

"More than enough time to dismantle the League from the inside. Unfortunately, we need help. And from all accounts, you were... too good at convincing your friends that you'd allied yourself with Ra's, and I don't think we carry much credibility with them. Given our names and the fact they've never met us." Dusan told him and Oliver thought for a moment before getting an idea.

"I know someone who they'll trust, at least they'll check in the very least." Oliver told them and they nodded, they were turning to leave when Oliver spoke again, "What did you tell her in the letter?"

Talia turned to him, "Oh, we just explained why we had to leave and to trust you. And that we knew if father laid eyes on you, he would want you to become heir and have you wed her to continue the Ra's bloodline. However, I never thought you'd get his attention as part of the prophecy. That one surprised even me."

He looked at both of them who were slightly laughing at the face he made, "Oh, come on. She's perfect for you, and you're perfect for her, you my brother have our blessing." Dusan said as he and Talia put their hoods on and left him sitting there dumbfounded by their confession.

A short while later after their departure Sarab came looking for Al Sah-him, "You've been gone a while. There was concern."

"I've just been here thinking."

They sat there in silence until Sarab finally spoke, "You've been quiet."

"I have a lot on my mind."

"I meant about the virus. The Alpha Omega." He says and Al Sah-him looks at him, "When did you take it?"

"From the truck. Before we blew it up." Sarab tell him.

"So before..."

"Even before Akio died, I wanted revenge on Shrieve for the pain he caused."

"But instead, you used it to trade your way into the League." Al Sah-him said as Sarab nodded his head, "I am not strong. Not enough for myself, and certainly not enough for Tatsu. Not in the same way you are, you were offered the power and you declined, and had it forced onto you. I had to trade the lives of thousands for that power."

Al Sah-him looks at his old friend, "If you could go back to her, would you?

"That is immaterial. Maseo Yamashiro is no more." Sarab answered, a pain look in his eyes.

"He doesn't have to be. When I'm Ra's, I can release you from your oath. I can set you free."

"The League is not my prison. From my prison... There is no escape."

[Starling Abandoned Warehouse]

"So now Malcolm Merlyn can summon us. I really don't like the idea that he can summon us." Felicity says as she paces around behind Laurel and Diggle.

"Any idea what this is about?" Laurel asks them and Diggle responds, "No, but Merlyn assures me that he'll be waving the white flag."

"I'm sorry. He forgot the flag." Two people dressed in League gear throw a bound Malcolm onto the floor in front of the three. Diggle and Laurel stand in front of Felicity to protect her if they were indeed League members.

"That's too bad. I would have told him where he could put it." Laurel says and the two people laugh, they saw what Oliver had seen in her.

"What is this about, who are you and why do you have Malcolm?" Felicity asked the two strangers.

"Well, this isn't going to be easy for all of you to believe " the man began to speak but Felicity cut him off, "Only because your group are a bunch of sociopaths." Both of the strangers laughed and finally Dusan took his hood off and looked at them, they were shocked never having met an albino before let alone an assassin albino.

"I can see why Ollie was once in love with you." He told her, her face fell at his words, Diggle and Laurel looked angrier at the mention of their once comrade's nickname given to him by Thea.

"Dusan stop making this harder, they already don't trust us don't make them hate us as well, for Ollie's sake." The woman scolded the man as she took her hood off. Malcolm upon seeing their faces quickly got to his feet only to kneel before them. "Ra's told me both of you had perished."

"Father is glad Dusan is gone, he never questioned his death. As for me I'm a deserter and enemy for having fled Nanda Parbat." Laurel's eyes widened in realization of who they were, while Diggle and Felicity were still not understanding anything.

"You guys are Nyssa's older sister and younger brother." Laurel said aloud as Diggle and Felicity looked at her, "What?"

"Indeed Ms. Lance, I am Talia Al Ghul and this here is Dusan Al Ghul. We fled from Nanda Parbat and were hunted by the league but I wasn't heir for nothing, of course once I betrayed my father Nyssa became heir. As to why we call Oliver, Ollie," she said before Laurel could interrupt, "We trained him his last years away, in Russia when I was searching for one of my students, Yao Fei. To my surprise, I found a man that had survived hell, a mad scientist, a bio attack, spiritual forces, and Bratva initiation."

This new information took them all, even Malcolm, by surprise. "Oliver was trained by the league before he came back?" Felicity asked them.

"Yes. Unfortunately, we had a small window to get him ready, we were unable to finish his training, it's the only reason he lost to him." Dusan said as he pointed his thumb at Malcolm.

"This would be much quicker for all of us if we could fast forward through this suspicion and reach the conclusion that I am telling you the truth." Talia says to the small group.

"About what?" Diggle asks her still not sure if they are to be trusted.

Dusan looked at him before nocking Malcolm out, the group jumps at seeing how calm he was before he looks at them again, "Oliver. His allegiance with the League is a charade."

"Why would you even begin to play with our emotions like that?" Felicity asks and Dusan groans loudly, Talia give him a death stare and he keeps quiet.

"This plan was born the moment Oliver realized that he had to capitulate to Ra's to save Thea." Talia tells them as Dusan nudges Malcolm with his foot, clearly bored.

"And instead of sharing this plan with us, he trusted you?" Diggle asked angry that Oliver had not trusted him.

"The man who had your sister murdered. Lays at my feet, think of it as a peace offering, you can kill him and no one will know, well except maybe Oliver, he was the one who said he'd be able to reach you and we could use as a bargaining chip." Dusan looked at Laurel who was taken aback by his sincerity.

"As to why he would tell us and not you, we're both presumed dead. We have no family ties besides Nyssa. And no offense, none of you are particularly good actors. Well, unless you count him." Talia said pointing at Malcolm. "You've seen for yourselves how dangerous our father and the League are. The circle of trust had to remain as small as possible and with people the world wouldn't miss."

"Until now? What changed?" Felicity asked?

"I brought along a friend of Oliver's from his third year away to explain it. I've seen the devastation but it's better getting the truth from someone who was in the middle of it all." As Talia finished speaking an Asian woman appeared from the shadows.

"My name is Tatsu Yamashiro. And your city is in great danger."

"You expect us to believe her? We never even met her. We never met her, right?" Felicity asks Laurel who thinks for a moment before whispering, "No."

"Apart from my brief time helping Oliver recover from the wounds Ra's al Ghul inflicted on him, my life has been one of... isolation." This information made the three of them alert, Oliver had mentioned that he was rescued, but said nothing more than that.

"Ok, this is your big plan? A woman who we've never met or even heard of?" Diggle asks frustrated.

"Oliver doesn't like to speak about the past." She informs them, all of them agreed on that point.

"Apparently, he's not so forthcoming about the present, either." Felicity shoots back.

"My son was killed by the virus Ra's intends to use on your city." Tatsu tells them bowing her head in reverence to her son's memory.

Diggle remembers his conversation with Sarab, "You're Akio's mother?"

"Oliver was with me when it happened. He knows that the danger you all face is very real. This request comes from Oliver." She tells them.

"Look, we're not playing around, Thea lives in this city. This is everything I have on the bioweapon. We've arranged passage for all of us to go to Nanda Parbat. If you're coming... be at Ferris Air before sunrise." Talia gives them the information before Dusan looks at Laurel, "Like I said if you want to kill him, he's right here. If not just say so and I'll keep him for a while, we can't have him informing the league we're here."

Laurel shook her head and Dusan nodded, grabbed Malcolm by his feet and just dragged him out, followed by an amused Talia and Tatsu.

[Palmer Tech]

The remainder of arrow team are watching the reports from china and the cover story for the bio attack, "How could we not know about this? How could anyone not know about a terrorist attack in Hong Kong?" Felicity asked as they see the footage and chaos caused by the weapon.

"Because Beijing had us believing that these deaths were caused by a local chemical spill." Diggle replied remembering the news stories about the event.

"Looking at this, we can't afford not to believe them." Diggle added as the two-others looked at him, "Their father is a mass murderer and I have never even heard of this Tatsu person." Felicity replied.

"Listen, Felicity, I don't know if you're right that Oliver's gone forever or not. Truth is, for me, it doesn't matter. If there's even a possibility of this kind of danger in my city, I'm reporting for duty." Diggle tells her as Laurel agrees, "Me, too."

"I can't go there. Not after what they did to Oliver." Felicity said leaving them behind but in her mind the main reason she didn't want to go was the words Dusan spoke, _I can see why Ollie was once in love with you_.

[Nyssa's Quarters]

Nyssa stands as her door opens, "Relax, my child." Ra's says as he enters.

"Another order I cannot follow."

"You speak to me as though I'm a monster. I'm your father, Nyssa."

"Then why do you ask me to marry Al Sah-him?"

"When I was in a desert tending to some affairs, I crossed paths with a woman. She was breathtaking in her visage and fortitude. Her name was Ameena Raatko. I had taken other lovers before, but she was different.

She had a wit and a fire about her that I found myself I could not live without. So, she became my concubine and the mother of my child." Ra's waits for a member of the league to bring him a case, he takes it and opens it, "This was my gift to her in honor of you. A gift that she gave me. And so, I kept it in the hopes that one day, you would wear it on your wedding day."

She looked at the jewels, and smiled at the memory of her mother, "You expect me to marry Al Sah- him because of some trinket?" she asked, but for the first time there was no venom in her words, it was an honest question that she wanted answered.

"I expect you to marry Al Sah -him because it is my will. I see it between the two of you, even if both of you deny it. Somethings can't be hidden and the more you fight them the more it hurts my daughter." Nyssa stood there not moving, out of all the things he could have said she had not expected this.

[Palmer Tech]

"I am sorry to intrude. Dusan said that I would find you here. I did not come here to convince you of the threat to your home. There's nothing I can say that you will believe, more than what you have seen." Tatsu tells Felicity who is still looking at the news footage from China.

"Then why are you here?"

"To speak with you about Oliver. During his recuperation, Oliver spoke of you, and another, of how his last thoughts before the fall were split by two people in his life. One offered light and the other offered something he has looked for since his time on the island. You love him... still, and yet you fought against his darkness at every turn not accepting who he was."

"Well, Oliver belongs to Ra's now."

"If you believe that, you must fight for him. I do not know if this other figure in his life feels the same way, or if they accept him."

"There is no 'him' left."

"I thought as you do once. My husband, Maseo, was consumed by the League's darkness. I was so convinced that he was lost to me that I didn't even try to reach him. Don't make a choice that you will regret later." With that she walks away leaving Felicity to think.

[Airfield]

Dusan, Talia and Tatsu are waiting for team arrow and Dusan glimpses something from the corner of his eye, "Is that a Masamune blade?"

"A katana. Passed on for centuries within my family. The first son of each generation." Tatsu tells him and he looks at her, "You are not a son, Tatsu."

"No, I am not." She sheaths the katana and arranges her gear.

"Let's get this over with." Diggle says as he and Laurel walk up to them.

"The plane's ready; It should be big enough for all of you. Including her." Dusan says as he nods his head in Felicity's direction.

"Thought you weren't coming." Diggle said.

"I changed my mind. And what do you mean you? Are you not coming along?" She looks at him and he shakes his head, "No, me and Talia have to stay her in case the plan fails. But don't worry we got you a guide, in exchange for his life." Dusan opens the trunk of a car to reveal Malcolm inside bound.

"How do we know he won't betray us?"

"Because Tatsu will be with you just in case to keep him in line and once inside you have two more allies, Nyssa and Ollie." Talia tells them and then looks at Felicity, "Plus you could always leak out that he's alive and hive the authorities and enemies looking for him."

[Nanda Parbat]

"So this is Nanda Parbat." Laurel says looking around as Felicity looks exhausted from the walk, "Next time, we should really look into getting some horses. You think they rent horses here?"

"There won't be a next time." Diggle says.

"There it is. The plane Ra's intends to use to spread the Alpha Omega over Starling." Malcolm says pointing at the plane, he hated the position he was in but Talia though sisterly and motherly was a lot crueler than Ra's himself, if she had been born a man she would have become Ra's long ago.

"I need to be within 50 yards to breach the plane's internal mainframe and navigation software, but then I should be able to remote ground the thing." Felicity tells the group before Malcolm hushes her, "Quiet."

"I don't see anything." Laurel says and just as she finishes Malcolm spins and fires an arrow at a league member, "There'll be more."

No sooner are they surrounded by member of the league, the small group forms a small circle before they all break out fighting against the member, "Get to the plane. We'll cover you. Go!" Diggle tells Felicity who takes off toward the plane.

"Surrender now, and you might live." Sarab says as he confronts Tatsu.

"Maseo."

"Maseo is a memory." Sarab responds.

"Our child was gone, and you left me when I needed you most. But you can still come back to me. It's not too late." She pleads with him.

"Yes, it is." Sarab responds.

Laurel is fighting and doesn't notice an enemy behind her until Malcolm kills him and Laurel turns around, "You know I wouldn't have done the same thing for you."

"I know." He replies and walks off to keep fighting.

"Your husband is long dead. If Sarab must die as well, then so be it." Sarab says as he and Tatsu begin to fight.

"Can you bring it down from the sky?" Malcolm asks as the plane takes off, Felicity shakes her head, "They destroyed my gear, but I had some insurance come along."

"What kind of insurance?"

"The atomic kind." She replies as Ray appears in the sky fighting the plane, in the end he smashes through the plans to bring it down and crash lands.

"Ray! Ray!" Felicity screams as she and Malcolm make their way over to him.

"Ohh. You should see the other guy." He chuckles as he slowly gets up.

Tatsu are still fighting matching steel with steel until Sarab manages to put Tatsu on the ground, he raises his arms, "Tell Akio... I love him." but before he can strike Tatsu in one swift movement take her sword and on his swing stabs him straight through, "You tell him for both of us."

Sarab falls to his knnes and lays his head on Tatsu's shoulder, "Thank you... for releasing me... from my prison." He says as he breathes his last breath. Tatsu cries for the man she loves, " Nennen korori yo okorori yo boya wa yoi ko da nenne shina "

As the last of the members falls Ra's makes himself known to the little group, "Enough!" They turn to see him, Al Sah-him and Nyssa along with more members, "You have failed. Any further attempt to undermine our cause would be futile."

"Uh, you see that burning plane over there?" Ray says pointing to the remains of the plane, "We destroyed your city threatening bioweapon." Felicity adds as Ra's looks at her, "No. You merely think you did."

Al Sah-him steps forward and Nyssa follows, "Surrender! Or die." He tells the group as members move in on them and the group realizes they are outnumbered and out skilled.

[Halls of Nanda Parbat]

Al Sah-him and Nyssa lead the prisoners through Nanda Parbat to the main hall where Ra's is waiting, "Hey. Oliver. Oliver, what's going on?" Felicity tries to get his attention but to her surprise it's Nyssa who turns around, "If any of you speak, we're all going to die."

"What...?" Felicity and the group looks at her, except for Tatsu.

"I need you to trust him and me." She tells them as Al Sah-him stops at a doorway and nods to them to enter.

"Chinese have a saying. Stir the grass, and you startle the snake. My ruse with the plane was meant to reveal any traitors among me. How did you know of the virus? Of the plane?" Ra's looks at the group trying to find who was the traitor.

"Maseo told me, and I told them." Tatsu tells him, her voice sincere.

"So, a dead man told you. How convenient." Ra's says in disbelief.

"He said only three men knew about your plan. You, him, and Oliver." At the mention of his former name Al Sah-him standing next to Nyssa speaks, "Oliver Queen is dead. I am Al Sah- him."

Ra's nods before turning to the group, "This would not be the first time that Sarab has betrayed me to Maseo Yamashiro's weaknesses. And though your timing was a function of my gambit, it was nevertheless fortuitous. You see, by tradition, Ra's would contemplate mercy upon his enemies on the eve of a wedding."

Ray looks at him and scoffs, "You are getting married? I guess there really is a kettle for every pot."

This time before Al Sah-him can speak Nyssa speaks, "The wedding is ours."

Al Sah-him looks at the group, "I am betrothed to Nyssa al Ghul."

Laurel and Felicity look at the man they had loved and given everything that had happened still did, everyone else was surprised save Tatsu who thanks to Dusan and Talia knew, "Take them below." Ra's orders and the group is led out by three members, both Felicity and Laurel look back at Al Sah-him still in shock at his announcement.

[Dungeon]

"I can't believe he's going to marry her." Felicity says as Laurel has the same thought but doesn't voice it, "You should worry more about getting out of here alive." Malcolm responds and Ray looks at him, "Is that even a remote possibility?" he looks at the look Malcolm gives him, "Didn't think so."

"We aren't going to die here. Oliver would never let that happen." Laurel says but Diggle looks at her, "He let this happen."

Two members of the league come into the cell, Malcolm stands up, "'ahtaj 'iilaa alttahadduth mae Ra's (I need to speak with Ra's)."

The member ignores him and turns to Diggle, "Wareeth al Ghul commands your presence."

Diggle is brought into Al Sah-him's chambers, "Leave us." He commands the member who bows his head and leaves.

"Is everyone ok?"

"Like you give a damn!" Diggle shouts at him.

"Didn't Dusan and Talia speak to you?

"They did. So, was a part of your plan to leave my daughter alone when you kidnapped my wife?"

I had to do something to prove my loyalty to Ra's. And she wasn't alone, Talia remained by her side making sure she was safe, it wasn't until she heard you come in that she left causing Sara to cry."

Diggle looks at him, this was information he didn't know he was mad but seeing how thorough Oliver had planned everything reminded him of the Oliver he had met when he first learned of his mission, "That was your idea, Oliver?"

"Yes. You met Tatsu."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Tatsu told me... that in order to beat Ra's, I would have to sacrifice all of the things in my life that I hold most precious. And your friendship, your trust is on that list."

Before Diggle can say anything, the door opens, "Ra's demands that we return this man to his friends." The member says and Al Sah-him nods in acceptance.

[Main Hall]

"This is so beautiful... and yet so dangerous. Much like its former owner. Sarab's former love, who's now my prisoner, along with Al Sah- him's former friends. You see, their treachery was anticipated. Yours, however, Al Sa -Her, is disappointing. Because I expected more loyalty from a man whose daughter I saved."

"The last time I appeared before you in chains, I offered my fealty, and I am here to offer it again."

"You had nothing to offer then, and you have nothing to offer now."

"I have the name of the person who betrayed you to Al Sah- him's friends. It wasn't Maseo Yamashiro. It was Oliver Queen." Malcolm laughs, "He's been lying to you all along."

Moments later Al Sah-him walks in, "What's this?"

"I'm sorry, Oliver."

"My name is Al Sah -him."

"Not according to Mr. Merlyn here. You see, he claims that you've been deceiving me the entire time." Ra's looks at him as Al Sah-him walks over to him, "I have killed for you. I have severed all ties to my past. I have hurt people who were friends to Oliver Queen, and if you hadn't have stopped me, I would have murdered your daughter at your command."

"But what if this is all just part of your own elaborate ruse?"

"Then I will have nothing and no one to go home to. Oliver Queen is dead, and the Arrow is gone."

"We shall see." Ra's says looking into the eyes of Al Sah-him and seeing no sign of Oliver Queen.

[Dungeon]

"What did Oliver say to you?" Felicity asks before Laurel has a chance, and Diggle just sits down not saying a word, the truth of how much thinking Oliver put into his plan, finally hitting him.

"You were right about Oliver. I should have listened to you. I should have fought, not given up." Felicity says looking at Tatsu, Laurel has a similar thought, she should have told him that she had fallen in love with him, all over again.

Just then the door to the chamber is opened and Malcolm is thrown in, "I told you about Oliver. You were supposed to…"

"I was supposed to do what, Mr. Merlyn? Grant, you mercy? I am. Because this death will be a lot shorter than the one I had planned for you." Ra's says.

"You…" Malcolm says but whatever he was going to say he doesn't get a chance as one of the members knocks him down.

"Oliver, if what Malcolm said is true, if you're going to do anything, now is the time!" Felicity yells at him but Al Sah-him just looks at them, no concern evident on his face.

"Al Sah- him has said that the swordswoman is inoculated, so you can take her to another chamber." Ra's commands and one of the members does as told.

Ra's throws the vial to the floor, "No! Oliver! Oliver, we believed in you!"

"Seal the room." Ra's commands as he leaves leaving Al Sah-him and one member to close the chamber.

"Oliver, listen to me. Oliver!"

"For the love of God! No, Oliver!"

"What the hell are you doing?! Come on, you got to get us out of here! We trusted you. You asked us to trust you and we trusted you!"

"Don't do this! Oliver!" Laurel pleads with him as he finishes sealing the chamber off, she looks at him and he winks at her causing her to stop fighting her chains.

[Wedding Ceremony]

"You are Wareeth al Ghul, Heir to the Demon. Before the night is over, you will be Ibn al Ghul. Son of the Demon." Ra's says to Al Sah-him as they wait for the bride.

Meanwhile in the chamber the small group is coughing and gasping for air, Laurel and Malcolm are the only one's calm, knowing that Oliver had done something.

All the members present move to the side and raise their swords as Nyssa begins the walk to Al Sah-him. They look at one another and for the first time they realize that they've been holding in a breath, that their hearts seemed to skip a beat, they realize they had indeed been fighting something inside of them.

"There is no vow more sacred, nor covenant more holy than the one between man and woman. With this ceremony, your souls are bound together, forever joined. You will never be free. You will always be held captive by your love for each other." The priestess speaks as Nyssa pulls a hidden blade and tries to kill Al Sah-him but he blocks her and they both grin, no malice just genuine admiration to each other's skill. When Al Sah-him takes the blade, Nyssa looks at the priestess, "Continue."

"I'm sorry, Felicity, for everything." Diggle says as he begins to drift off, "You don't have to be sorry for anything, John. I'm glad to have known you."

"And for this shared life, we offer blessings. Bara-kat." The priestess bows her head, Nyssa and Al Sah-him follow suit. The priestess puts Nyssa's hand on top of Al Sah-him's and they both look at one another, both of their masks gone, only Oliver and Nyssa, not Al Sah-him nor the child of Ra's Al Ghul present. "The union is sealed."

-My name is-

Al Sah-him is on the plane and awakes abruptly, "You were asleep."

"I was dreaming."

"Ibn Sirin once wrote there are three types of dreams there are ones about truth; there are ones about desire, and there are ones about temptation. What did you dream of?"

"Rebirth... as Ra's al Ghul." He says as he looks over at Nyssa, he didn't think Ra's would have brought her along.

"There is no greater burden than the one you're about to take on the annihilation of one's home."

"It is necessary to complete my ascension."

"And I will be there to steady your hand when the time comes."

"I appreciate your assistance."

"Soon you will wear this. And you will command a multitude, and I shall call you Ra's." just then a small explosion can be felt, "Something's wrong."

[Dungeon]

The small group awakens again, coughing for air, "Not that I'm complaining, but shouldn't we be dead by now?" Ray says as they all come to.

"Oliver tried to kill us." Felicity says but Laurel shakes her head, "Ra's tried."

"Oliver was forced to let him appear to be successful." Malcolm tells them, "So now we're back to trust Oliver, and while we're at it, trust you, too?" Diggle asks.

"Yeah, because the last time I checked, you tried to make a deal with Ra's to save yourself." Laurel says a little angry but glad that she was right about the wink Oliver had given her.

"In order for their plan to work, Ra's trust in Oliver had to be complete. And after that plane fiasco, it wasn't. Oliver needed to demonstrate one more time his loyalty to Ra's." Malcolm explains.

"Which I guess brings us back to... why aren't we dead? Not that I'm complaining." Ray says.

"Oliver... was vaccinated against the Alpha Omega virus five years ago, an associate was able to draw a version of the vaccine from his blood. Why do you think Dusan and Talia came after me, not to gain your trust but for my connections." Malcolm explained as he removed his glove and peeled off skin, "A synthetic skin graft." Ray realizes.

"Upon our incarceration, I was able to vaccinate each one of you cutaneously. I saved your lives. I believe the words you're searching for are 'thank' and 'you.'"

Felicity clears her throat, "Ok. Assuming this is all some part of a brilliant double double cross or triple cross I'm losing count your master plan still has one major flaw, since we're still chained in a dungeon."

"Patience, Miss Smoak. All we have to do is wait."

"Wait for what?" Laurel asks wanting to know more, as thunder is heard in the distance, Malcolm smiles, "The thunder."

"Hi, you guys! Wow! I mean, this is like a real dungeon!" The flash looks around amazed as Felicity looks at him, "Barry!"

"Thank you, Felicity. You just outed my secret identity to a super villain. No offense."

"None taken. Now get us out of here!"

"All right, uh, stand back." He begins to vibrate his hands and places them on the glass shattering it.

[Weapon Storage]

"Excellent. How many assassins, do you figure?"

"Uh, none. They're all taking a little nappy time."

"Thank you. And not to be greedy, but we could really use your help on this whole Starling City super virus thing."

"And you know I would, but I am overdue for a very pointed conversation with Harrison Wells. I'm sure Oliver's got this."

"I wouldn't count on it. Oliver hasn't been very forthcoming with his plans lately." Diggle says still angry at Oliver.

"Well, I don't know what's been going on with him lately, apart from a recent wardrobe change, but one thing that hasn't changed is, he needs you guys. Even if he doesn't think so. Good luck." Barry turns around and runs.

"Damn, I'll never get used to that."

"Well, there goes our ride home. John?"

"The plane we came in is still secure, but we need to get to it quickly. Come on."

Just as the group is leaving Tatsu appears grabbing her katana's, "Tatsu. Let's go, we're leaving." Laurel tells her but Tatsu shakes her head, "I left a life of solitude because Oliver asked it of me. It's time to return to it."

[Plane]

Another explosion is felt and Ra's moves to the pilot, "What's happening?"

"Two engines are down. We're trying to compensate, but they've been tampered with."

"Sabotage?" Ra's thinks then turns around and points at Nyssa, "You! This is all your doing." He points his sword at her throat but Al Sah-him stands up, "Don't! Nyssa had nothing to do with this."

"You were delivered by the prophecy. You wed my daughter. Your name is Al Sah-him and you are Wareeth al Ghul!" Nyssa watches, as Al Sah-him changes and his voice becomes gruff and low, "My name... is Oliver Queen!" he says as he throws his blade at Nyssa who grabs it and attacks the league members on board.

"Oliver Queen is dead. And soon, you will be, too! I handed you my crusade! My holy mission!"

"I already have one." Oliver says and they begin to fight, Nyssa disposes of the other members easily and comes to Oliver's aid but due to the shaking of the plane Ra's gets the upper hand and throws both on the ground. He takes a parachute and opens the cargo bay door, "Survive this, and I will come for you again and again until your end of days! But first, your city will perish!" he jumps off as Oliver helps Nyssa up.

"It's our only parachute. I'm sorry, I didn't think he would bring you along." He turns and walks to the cockpit, the copilot rushes him but Oliver knocks him out easily.

Oliver gets into the pilot sit as Nyssa follows him and gets into the copilot seat, "Stay strapped in and do exactly as I say." Nyssa nods.

"All right, we've lost hydraulics. Is there a red lever by your right leg?"

"Yes!"

"Ok, on my go, you'll pull it up, you'll turn it clockwise, push it back down. You understand?"

"Yes!"

"3, 2, 1. Now!" she does as he told her, "Now back down!" she struggles but manages to put it back down.

"Nyssa, this is going to hurt, I'm sorry." He says as he makes a crash landing.

[Palmer Tech]

The group walks in to find Dusan and Talia there, "We don't have much time." Dusan says as he looks at them.

"For what? I thought you said Oliver had a plan."

"Yeah, and in the event, that it doesn't work, he has a back up, all of us." Talia tells them. Dusan looks at Malcolm, "John, let's determine the status of our arsenal. Laurel, go to your father; Start mobilizing the police. Mr. Palmer, I need you to find something that will neutralize an airborne contagion. Miss Smoak, let's find out where our League of Assassin friends might be."

"I'm sorry. Did he mumble?" Dusan asks the group who look at him, "Malcolm was instructed on what to do by Oliver, we are just the muscle, well I am."

Diggle looks at them, "We follow their lead. For now." 

"Ah, guys, I set up a proximity alarm to detect an unauthorized entry to this level. It's going off like crazy." Ray says as everyone looks at the computer, just seconds later two figures drop down from the ceiling causing Diggle and Malcolm to raise their weapons. The woman has her bow raised as well but the man speaks as he comes into view, "Nyssa." She lowers the bow, "John "

"You son of a bitch!" he says as he strikes Oliver in the face, who barely moves from the blow, Nyssa raises her bow again aiming at Diggle but Oliver puts his hand on her arm and she lowers the bow.

"Maybe we should give these guys the room." Talia says as her and Dusan make their way out but stop by Nyssa and hug her, "It's great to see you sister," and they look at Oliver, "Brother." Causing both Nyssa and Oliver to clear their throats as Talia laughs and moves away followed by the rest of the group.

As Nyssa is about to leave, Oliver stops her, "Stay." She nods and stands by his side.

"You two on your honeymoon?" Felicity asks a hint of anger and jealousy on her voice.

"What the hell's going on, Oliver? Start talking!" Diggle asks finally at his limit wanting answers.

"The reason that I have kept every one close at arm's length for the past several months is because in order to get critical intel on our enemy I had to forsake everything. Talia and Dusan know Ra's. They know the League. And they knew that if I was appointed his successor, that meant Starling City was marked for death. When they heard, they came to me to warn me and the only way that we were going to defeat the League was from the inside.

I had to get close enough to Ra's to find out how he was going to destroy the city... And stop him."

"You trusted them more than you did the two people closest to you!"

"I'm sorry John, but that spot is filled by them, they are family to me, they guided me through the darkness, they reminded me why I survived and what I was fighting for. They never wanted to change me, they accepted me and I trusted them over you two because it was about making sure that you and you were safe. I had to keep the circle as small as possible. But once I found out he would use the Alpha Omega I had to bring in Malcolm."

"How did you expect to repair all this once you got back?" Felicity asks him and Nyssa also has a similar thought but she believes she knows the answer, Oliver turns to Nyssa, "I didn't. I flew with Ra's and the virus to Starling and I sabotaged the plane. The plan... was to kill Ra's and destroy the virus. It didn't work. And I didn't think he would bring you along."

"How did you expect to survive the plane crash?" Nyssa asked him wanting to know but his eyes told her everything, "You never expected to have this conversation. You were planning on dying." Oliver nods.

"So, that was your big plan. Sacrificing yourself to take out Ra's." Felicity asks choosing not to look at them, "It was the only way. At least now that it didn't work, I get a chance to tell all three of you how sorry I am."

"Sorry won't cut it Oliver. Not this time. But we have bigger problems than hurt feelings and broken trust." Diggle says.

Nyssa looks at Oliver, "You would have left me?" he walks up to her and whispers so only she hears him, "I'm sorry it was a brash decision but I needed to do something, if it meant your freedom from him and myself then it was a small price to pay."

He turns back to Diggle, "Laurel needs to contact her father. Ray needs to find a way to counteract the virus. I'm sure Dusan told you... We don't have a lot of time."

[Minutes later]

Oliver meets the entire group, "What'd you find?"

"Our father isn't using any of the League's ordinary redoubts in the city." Talia informs them as the siblings stand together.

"If Ra's is here with the virus, why hasn't he used it yet?" Malcolm asks Oliver.

Oliver walks over to Felicity, "Where are we?"

"Nowhere. Ra's is old school. Every way I have of finding him is new school."

Diggle looks over at them, "Oliver, maybe we need to change the way we're looking for him. If we're trying to find a sub that's gone dark, we should look for what's out of the ordinary in the water."

"So, we look for what's unusual and maybe that points us to how or where Ra's plans to release the virus." Oliver says and Diggle nods.

"Traffic lights were down for 20 minutes at Adams and O'Neil. All computers at Starling National Bank are offline. The entire top floor of the Essex Hotel is closed. There's an electrical spike at 52nd and Robson." Felicity informs them.

Malcolm and Oliver look at each other, "Wait, go back. The top floor of the Essex is closed."

"Our father doesn't frequent hotels." Nyssa says looking at them, both Talia and Dusan nod in agreement.

"According to internal emails, the floor was shut down for a Damien Darhk. A name like that has to be an alias." Felicity says not having noticed the look of realization in all five assassins.

"Damien Darhk is in Starling City." Oliver looks at Nyssa, "Father's most bitter enemy."

"That's why Ra's hasn't released the virus. He wants to use it to kill Damien Darhk. This was never just about my ascension. Ra's wants to take out his Nemesis."

"Looks like you weren't the only one with a hidden agenda." Diggle says and the three siblings glare at him.

Oliver sighs but has an idea, "This can work for us. Ra's wants Damien. So, we give him Damien."

"We trade Damien for the virus. That is remarkably ruthless and cold blooded. I approve." Malcolm says as Talia, Dusan and Nyssa all nod in agreement.

[Rooftop across the Essex]

Oliver and Nyssa look at the building across from them with binoculars, "We count two on the roof, one on the penthouse floor."

"I got two guarding the elevators, another three going in and out of the service entrance." Diggle says from inside the lobby where he is reading a newspaper.

Malcolm throws a man down the stairs, "And a patrol in the stairwell."

"Same for the northwest corridor." Talia says as she disposes of the guards with her bow.

"Keep Darhk's men from joining the party." Oliver says as he gets his bow out, "Getting into position." He shoots the zip line arrow and connects above the window sill.

Oliver and Nyssa jump and hold on to the line crashing into the room, "Damien Darhk." Oliver says as he points an arrow at his back.

"You know, the hotel's going to bill me for that window." The man says as he ties his tie.

"Turn around!" Nyssa tells him her bow at the ready.

"This is bold, even for Ra's."

"Ra's al Ghul wants you dead. He's planning a bioweapon to take you out."

"Well, that's a considerable amount of work to go to. Ra's certainly must want Mr. Darhk off the board." This surprises both Nyssa and Oliver.

"Oh, you seem surprised. Mr. Darhk left Starling the moment he learned of Ra's' intention. It's amusing the Demon's Head thinks he can catch my employer unaware." Just then his phone goes off and both Nyssa and Oliver aim their arrows at his heart, "It's just my phone." As he answers an arrow pierces the window and kills the man instantly.

Ra's voice comes from the cell phone, "Hello, Al Sah-him. Apparently both our plans did not go as we'd hoped."

"I'm going to find you."

"It was a bold gambit, hoping to leverage Mr. Darhk, but one which had done you no good. I set in motion the death of your city 10 minutes ago, the Alpha Omega shall be disseminated by means of four vessels. Four instruments of death. And I doubt that you and your friends will have time to stop all of them. Unlike you, Oliver Queen, I'm a man of my word. And I swore that you would see your city perish." Oliver looks at Nyssa and she places a hand on his arm trying to provide support, he relaxes and they move out of the building.

[Palmer Tech]

Oliver and Nyssa walk back into the command center to see Dusan, Ray and Felicity at work, "John, Malcolm, and Talia are on their way back. What happened with Darhk?" Dusan asks them and Oliver looks at him, "He was gone. Man, that we found was a cut out. Ra's plans to release the virus at four points across the city."

"I worked out a containment system that can safely neutralize the virus, if we can get our hands on it." Ray informs Oliver who nods, "Well, we need four of them, and a way to spread the inoculant if this gets out of control."

"I scrubbed through all the information that Dusan and Talia gave us on the Hong Kong attack five years ago, the Alpha Omega virus gave off a low-level emission from its RNA, almost like radiation." Felicity says working on her computer not wanting to look back at Oliver or Nyssa.

"If you can hack the keyhole hexagon satellite, you can tune the quadband to search for it..." Ray starts but Felicity gives him a look, "Which you've been doing for the last five minutes."

"We need probable locations where he would release the virus as soon as you can get them." Oliver tells Felicity who nods.

[Office]

Nyssa walks into the office where Oliver had secluded himself, "So, your plan to take out my father by dying... We should talk about that." Nyssa tells him and Oliver looks at her and nods.

"Every night since the mountain, I've had the same dream. Felicity pleading with me not to go face Ra's, and I listen to her. The dream still ends badly; I end up with this sword in my chest. But there are times when the one pleading with me is not her, but someone that accepts me with all my flaws, all my darkness and when it's with her, we escape, we live our lives. And all this seems... it seems so far away, because it's just... it's the two of us."

Nyssa looks at him, "Who is it?" He looks away from her, "Someone that was forced to marry me and probably hates me as much as she hates Malcolm." Nyssa looks at him and before he can say anything she kisses him on the lips and he holds her. They lock eye's and they give an awkward laugh, "I know you think it's not possible, that you dead and my father dead is the only realistic best case scenario."

"Nyssa... I can't defeat him."

"Oliver Queen can't. The Arrow can't. Both those men tried and both those men failed. You remember what you said to me when you came to Starling looking to take me back to Nanda Parbat? It's only when the monster becomes someone else — something else — that you're free to be yourself. Oliver, you gave the arrow and Queen up to become Al Sah-him, you gave the monster a new name, a new mask, you freed yourself to be you, not the Oliver Queen that the world wants but the Oliver, you want to be. It's your key to beating my father. Don't fight to die. Fight to live, to give us a chance."

He smiles and this time he kisses her, and she kisses back, "I'm not sure when this started, every time we've met we've been at each other's throat." She laughed, "I was angry, I didn't know what she saw in a man, but it wasn't until I read my sister's letter that I realized that I was angry because I knew exactly why. And it made me angry to feel like that for someone other than her."

He held her close, "You're still angry."

She laughed and smiled at him, "I'm angry that it took us nearly dying to finally talk about it. I'm angry you were planning on leaving me a widow, I'm angry at myself for not telling you all this when you came to visit me in my quarters." She sighed and he placed a hand on her cheek, "I'm sorry."

"You've said that already." He smiled, "And I'll keep saying it until you believe it." This time she smiled and kissed him again, they stood there taking in each other's presence.

Dusan having information to report walks into the office and sees them holding each other, "Well, aren't you two comfy." This caused them both to move apart but when they realized it was Dusan, Oliver glared at him, "Hey Ollie, brother, you have our blessing no need to hide it from us."

Nyssa glares at him as well but when she feels Oliver wrap his arm around her waist, she calms down and leans into him. She can't help but smile when Dusan nods and Oliver laughs in her ear.

"Satellite trace is back. We've got four locations."

"Ok, let's go." Dusan leaves as Oliver speaks again, "Nyssa..." she turns to face him again, "Thank you." She smiles and leads him out of the office.

[Four Possible locations]

"I'm onsite." Oliver says from the top of a roof.

"Onsite." Laurel says as Nyssa walks beside her.

"Onsite." Malcolm says putting on his mask, Dusan and Talia keeping watch over him to make sure he doesn't run.

"I'm onsite, but I have no idea what I should be looking for around here." Diggle says as he walks among the crowd.

"Do you see anyone in a League of Assassins outfit? That would be a dead giveaway." Felicity says from the control room.

Oliver is looking at the streets below when he hears something and turns to fire his bow but stops, "I have no weapons. And I have no virus. Ra's al Ghul awaits you on the Starling City Dam. He wishes to be in your presence as your city dies."

"And what makes him think that I won't just stay focused on saving my city?" Oliver asks the messenger.

"Because he knows of your deluded belief that you can defeat him in battle. And you know that as long as the Demon's Head lives, he will continue to threaten your home."

Diggle stands on the street and spots someone with a briefcase, as soon as they make I contact the man runs, "Ok, I got a runner carrying a metal briefcase."

"The bioweapon is going to be in the briefcase. Ok, I'm scrubbing footage from traffic and surveillance cameras at the remaining three locations."

Diggle chases after him but gets blindsided by the man dropping his gun. The man gets the gun and points it at Diggle, before he can shoot three arrows impact him from behind. "Don't... move." Thea says wearing Arsenal's uniform.

"Nice threads." Diggle says moving over to the man and taking his gun.

"Thanks."

Diggle opens the briefcase, "Felicity, the briefcase is empty. It's empty!"

He looks at the man, "Where's the virus? Where's the virus?!"

The man is shaking and sweating, "He is the weapon. Ra's is using his own men to disperse the virus!"

"And we will not be stopped. The will of Ra's al Ghul is our own!" The man mutters before slicing his own throat.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

[Dam]

"I knew you couldn't resist. The man who survives the sword of Ra's al Ghul shall become Ra's al Ghul."

"So, you brought me here to kill you?"

"Either way, I am victorious. You either ascend to Ra's as I have designed, or you will die. And the last thing you will ever see is your beloved city succumbing to disease and death."

[Diggle's Location]

"Get back! Go! Go, go, go, go, go, go! Get back! Go! Go, run!" Diggle screams trying to get the people away from the site.

"Everybody get back! You got to get out of here!" He turns to look at Thea, "Malcolm inoculated me."

"Oh, my God. Outbreak at Nelson Plaza. It's bad. It looks the virus spreads when infected blood is exposed to open air."

"Even if we find Ra's men, how are we supposed to stop them from spreading the virus?" Laurel asks through the coms.

"Really bad temporary solution get them off the streets in a secured place as possible and do not let them cut themselves."

"Wait. You're not inoculated." Laurel looks at Nyssa, she shakes her head, "Oliver took care of that and besides this is my father's doing. I will see it undone."

Ra's and Oliver unsheathe their swords, "You choose a sword that has already defeated you in battle." And they began their fight, at first matched but Ra's has experience on his side.

Malcolm and Dusan take out one of Ra's agents as Talia reports in, "Miss Smoak, we've taken out one of Ra's' men."

"Don't take chances. Put that body some place airtight, and try not to kill anyone else, while you're at it!" She turns to Ray, "The virus is spreading.

Can you replicate the inoculant?"

"That is the easy part. The hard part is disseminating it over a three-block radius."

"Your nanotech. Can you make them airborne?"

"That is what I'm trying to do."

Back at Laurel's site they find the agent and Laurel herself takes him out, "I have been a most excellent trainer." Nyssa says impressed by Laurel's technique.

"We need to get this guy somewhere he can't infect anyone." She says and Nyssa nods.

Ra's and Oliver continue their fight as officers watch and take aim, Quinten arrives and walks to the person in charge, "What the hell's going on here?

We're in the middle of a city wide crisis. I don't have time for this."

"We've got two suspects up on the dam. Don't know why they're fighting each other, but the chief says they're responsible for what's happening. He's ordered me to take them out as soon as I have a clean shot."

Ra's is able to force Oliver against the side of the damn, "Something has changed within you, boy. Your will to live burns brighter, and yet you rejected my offer of eternal life."

"What you were offering wasn't living!" Ra's throws him to the floor and forces him to his knees, "Power serves you no interest. You'd rather love."

"A man who condemns his daughter to death wouldn't understand." Oliver growls back at him.

Quinten calls Felicity, "We got a problem."

"You're going to have to be a lot more specific."

"I'm pretty sure your boy is at the Starling City Dam, and I got officers not listening to me getting ready to shoot him. Now, despite what I think about your guy, I don't want to see him killed while I think he is trying to save the city. But unless you order up a miracle pretty quick, that's exactly what's going to happen."

Diggle through the coms confirms the last target, "Got number four."

"Hold on a second, John. We have a new problem." She walks over to Ray, "Hey, you have to get to Starling City Dam. You have to fly."

"I'm still uploading the operating code to the nanotech. And I'm still rewriting on the fly. I I can't leave the station. Why?"

"Oliver's in trouble. He needs your help."

"Felicity, if I can't get the nanotech to disperse the inoculant, thousands of people in this city will die."

"What? No! Ray, Oliver!"

"It's one life against the city's. What would Oliver do?" He says.

Reluctantly, she dials Laurel and Malcolm, the siblings might be able to make it.

Back on the dam Oliver is still on his knees with a sword to his throat, "Unlike you, thousands of honorable men will mourn my death when I leave this earth."

"No." Oliver says as in one swift movement he grabs Ra's sword and slices his abdomen sending him to his knees, "They will kneel before the new Ra's al Ghul." Oliver impales him with the sword and takes it out, Ra's looks up at him as Oliver begins the prayer, "Aghfir warham ealayhi. himayatan lah min eadhab alqubr waeadhab alnnar (Forgive and have Mercy on him. Protect him from the punishment of the grave and the torment of the fire)."

Ra's takes his ring off and hands it to Oliver, "I knew I chose well with you, boy." He then topples over dead as Oliver stands above him, as the new Ra's Al Ghul.

Just as then he gets shot three times in the chest by the SCPD. The force send him over the railing and down the dam, before he hits the water three arrows hit the railing above and three assassins swing out to grab him. Once on the other side and hidden from view the three assassins bow to the new Ra's. Oliver looks at them and realizes that it's Nyssa, Dusan and Talia.

"You're my wife, you need not bow to me." Nyssa rises and tries to fight the urge to hit him and hug him, in the end she slaps him and kisses him.

"Well everything seems to have turned out great, now let's head back to the others." Talia says and leads them through the woods.

[Palmer Tech]

The group watches the news about the attack, _"The casualty count would have been much higher if not for an airborne inoculant that rumors credit Palmer Technologies with developing."_

Oliver is seated as Nyssa takes a look at his wounds, "You killed my father." He looks at her, "I had to."

"I wanted to be the one." She says but he smiles and shakes his head, "I didn't let my sister give Malcolm to the league, and I wouldn't let you do it either, taking the life of a parent is not something you can walk away from unchanged."

This causes her to smile at his noble yet dark spirit that she understands, "You're lucky you're still alive. You wouldn't be had you not been wearing league armor." She grins making him laugh and in front of everyone he kisses her. Felicity and Laurel turn away slightly not wanting to see the man they loved with someone else.

Oliver gets up and turns to Dusan and Talia, they bow, "Dusan Al Ghul, Talia Al Ghul, I now release you from your oath, with the death of the previous Ra's your wrongs are forgotten. Be free." They bow once more before hugging him and Nyssa, "Just keep in touch, Nyssa and I will be waiting to hear where you settle down." The sibling nod and say their goodbyes to Nyssa and walk out, free from their father and free from the ways of the old.

Oliver then turns to the rest of the team, "When I started this, I wanted to keep you as far away from it as possible," he says and Thea nods knowingly, "because that has always been my instinct to go it alone. But the truth is that we won tonight because I wasn't alone. I thought that this crusade would only end with my death. But even if I had died tonight, it would live on, because of you... and you. Oh, and you."

"It's true. This city isn't lacking masks." Laurel says but Oliver shakes his head.

"Heroes. Which is why I no longer need to be one." Everyone looks at him, they had expected him to return and give control of the league to one of the siblings.

"What are you saying?" Laurel asks him.

"Ra's took the Arrow identity from me. I couldn't be that person even if I wanted to be. And I don't want to be. Nyssa reminded me of who I am, the person that I want to be not the one the world needs to see." He turns to Nyssa, "I want to be with you. You told me that I have become someone else, and I would like to... maybe discover a little more about that person.

If you'll come with me."

Thea looks at him "With you where?"

"Um... Some place far away from here, the place where our story began but if you want to be free, I understand." Nyssa shook her head, "I want to see our story unfold, husband." Oliver smiled and she laughed in turn.

"Even without me, Starling still has heroes to watch over it. And John, if you're going to keep going, you may want to find a way to conceal your identity when you're out there."

"I'll think on that. You be well, Oliver."

"You, too." With that Oliver and Nyssa walk out, the demon and his bride.

[Nanda Parbat]

One month later Oliver stands in front of the Lazarus pit, league members stand in front of him. Nyssa walks in between the two sides and stands in front of her husband, she bows and kneels, "Husband."

"Nyssa, stand you are my wife. My equal, my other half." She smiles and rises to stand next to him, "Yes, beloved. As you are mine."

Nyssa smiled at her husband, he was no longer trying to deny his inner monster, he embraced it and in doing so he was able to be himself. No longer struggling with his two masks, he was whole.

He stood there, no longer struggling between his two sides. He was at peace, with who he was, and the person to make him see that he indeed deserved to be happy was someone who truly understood him.

He turned to her, "Can I say something strange?" she nodded, "I'm happy. You make me happy." Nyssa laughed at his confession especially given that they were standing in front of the league but like he didn't seem to care she didn't either and kissed him.

' _ **My name was Oliver Queen. After five years in hell, I returned home with only one goal to save my city. And I did. I became a hero who helped the people of my city. But now it's time for me to be someone else. It's time for me to be... something else**_.'

Nyssa helps him put on his new cape, unlike her father's his was emerald in recognition of his previous life. She hands him his swords, he sheaths them and then she puts the demons head ring on his finger. She stands to his right and he places a similar cape on her but black with red accents. They looked out in front of them, the league kneels before them.

' **Three years ago, I returned to right the wrongs done to my city. Now I have a new mission as leader of the league. To keep the balance of the world. Together with my wife, we will change the league for that is my will and my will is the leagues. I am Ra's Al Ghul.'**

 **Authors note:**

 **So, what do you guys think? Should I continue on? Or leave it?**


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